2.07.18

I’m pretty sure I’ve had at least two previous blog titles with the same name, so not very original…  but try as I might I couldn’t come up with anything else…  when you spend the whole day travelling there isn’t too much to report!

Early start for both of us as S’s flight is departing at 10am for AU (my flight isn’t til midday to London). We caught the train from Gare de Fes to the Airport and was soooo much better than a taxi! Quicker and half the price!! I guess you learn these things as you travel more! The train station wasn’t actually that obvious at the airport so wasn’t surprising that we didn’t see it any of the last two times we’ve arrived.

So arrived at airport with about two hours til takeoff for S. We checked him in then had to walk down to the other end of the terminal for me to check in for my flight (different airlines). I’m checked in, no issues, and we both head to passport control… here they turn S away and tell him he has to go through passport control at the other end of the terminal because he is flying with Etihad. Poor guy turns around and heads for other end of terminal (now about 70min til takeoff). We agree to meet near to his gate/ lounge at A5 when we both get thru. I’m literally the only person in the whole passport control hall at this end of the terminal so within five minutes I’m thru and waiting at the gate for S… Thirty mins pass and still no sign of him. I’m now starting to get slightly worried for him because although he is flying business they will still close the gate with 20mins to go.. Finally I see him trudging down the hallway towards his gate.. Poor guy said the other passport control was packed and even though he was on the fast track line (flying business) it still took forever to get thru. So with about 10mins to spare he rushes me into the lounge (so that I can be fairly comfy til I take off) and he a quick bathroom stop before the poor guy had to jump on his flight for the long trip home… talk about cutting it fine!!

Anyway I while away the next couple of hours uploading blogs (I’m still a mile behind) and then finally i too leave the lounge to go and board my plane. I arrived right on boarding time and I’m super glad I did! More than half of the plane were being thoroughly checked for explosives! We didn’t have this type of checking going to Barca so I can only guess that they’ve had some sort of credible threat against a flight to the UK so they’ve upped the security.. The line up was crazy! Finally got thru the line and onto the waiting bus that whisked me to my plane. Unlike my last Royal Maroc flight (with the nut job) this one was very uneventful and three and a bit hours later and we touched down in Gatwick, London.

I was quickly through immigration and within 30mins had my bag, some cash + was heading out of the terminal to look for the train station and a sim card. Found both within seconds of each other at the tourism desk- 15P later (no idea where the pound symbol is on this keyboard) and I had a working phone with plenty of data (unlike the debacle that was Morocco) and a cashed up opal card and I was off to the train to London town.

Uneventful overground train trip to Waterloo, quick change to the underground and off to Regents Park (where I’m staying for the next few nights in London). My digs is in the heart of Marylebone- one block to Regent St, one block to Harley St and three blocks to Marylebone High St.. Couldn’t be more convenient to anywhere in town (unless you were staying in the heart of Soho or something). I’ve rented an apartment so that I can get my washing done and eat some ordinary food again!! So first job (once I’d gotten into the flat and dumped my gear) was to walk down to the High St to get myself some food!!

Gotta love the buying alcohol whilst you buy your bread! Makes it so easy to do a one stop shop and get everything you need. Grabbed myself some snags and salad for dinner, mushies, milk, coffee and a loaf of bread for brekky, some chippies and some ciders and I was ready for a party at my house!

By now it was getting pretty late so I headed up to the rooftop of the house to enjoy the sunset, one of my ciders and some chippies before having my dinner and heading to bed. First day in London town done and dusted!